According to the latest wage data release from Vivian Health, August 2023 travel nurse salary trends were much the same as July 2023. Once again, average travel nursing pay across the United States decreased by 0.7% from July to August, the same percent decrease recorded in our July wage data compared to June 2023 wages. The national average weekly pay rate for travel registered nurses (RNs) fell from $2,448 in July to $2,430 in August.
The August data release illustrates a continuing trend across 2023 of falling wages but also represents a slower decrease in wages from earlier in the year when decreases of 1.0% or more per month in the national average were typical. Over the past 12 months, the national average travel RN pay has declined 9.6% compared to August 2022.
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As in our July 2023 report, 10 states experienced wage increases of 1.0% or more in August. However, of these 10 states, five are new to the list of states with increased pay this month, and all are in the South: Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia.
Over the past few months, Delaware has emerged as the hot spot for competitive travel nursing pay. For the second month in a row, Delaware, coincidentally nicknamed The First State, saw the largest percent increase in average weekly travel nurse salaries of all 50 states. Average weekly travel RN pay there rose from $2,669 in July to $2,773 in August, an increase of 3.9% that builds on the 5.4% increase recorded in the state in July.
With this increase, Delaware boasts the second-highest average weekly travel RN pay in the nation, only surpassed by California’s $2,947. However, with Delaware’s lower cost of living, travel nurses may find their salaries go further there than in the Golden State.
|
State |
July Average |
August Average |
Percent Increase |
|
Delaware |
$2,669 |
$2,773 |
3.9% |
|
Florida |
$2,194 |
$2,240 |
2.1% |
|
West Virginia |
$2,360 |
$2,405 |
1.9% |
|
North Dakota |
$2,444 |
$2,486 |
1.7% |
|
Alabama |
$2,081 |
$2,113 |
1.6% |
|
Utah |
$2,333 |
$2,365 |
1.4% |
|
Mississippi |
$2,202 |
$2,232 |
1.4% |
|
Texas |
$2,221 |
$2,248 |
1.2% |
|
Kentucky |
$2,381 |
$2,409 |
1.2% |
|
Maine |
$2,442 |
$2,468 |
1.1% |
Meanwhile, fewer states are experiencing average wage decreases of 1.0% or more, with 22 this month compared to 26 in July. And while five states experienced a decrease of 2.5% or more last month, this month just four did. By comparison, a year ago, in August 2022, 38 states were experiencing wage decreases of 1.0% or more, and 23 of those states were experiencing wage declines of 2.5% or more.
Connecticut led the pack of states with falling wages, dropping 4.2% from $2,516 per week in July to $2,411 in August. This latest decrease moves Connecticut below the $2,430 national average after several months when the Constitution State had above-average wages.
|
State |
July Average |
August Average |
Percent Decrease |
|
Connecticut |
$2,516 |
$2,411 |
-4.2% |
|
Oregon |
$2,565 |
$2,472 |
-3.6% |
|
Colorado |
$2,431 |
$2,351 |
-3.3% |
|
Massachusetts |
$2,669 |
$2,583 |
-3.2% |
|
Minnesota |
$2,640 |
$2,577 |
-2.4% |
|
Michigan |
$2,332 |
$2,280 |
-2.3% |
|
New Hampshire |
$2,390 |
$2,338 |
-2.2% |
|
Wyoming |
$2,629 |
$2,573 |
-2.1% |
|
California |
$3,010 |
$2,947 |
-2.1% |
|
Washington |
$2,520 |
$2,474 |
-1.8% |
|
Vermont |
$2,657 |
$2,610 |
-1.8% |
|
Arizona |
$2,499 |
$2,459 |
-1.6% |
|
Illinois |
$2,399 |
$2,361 |
-1.6% |
|
Pennsylvania |
$2,376 |
$2,341 |
-1.5% |
|
Tennessee |
$2,167 |
$2,136 |
-1.4% |
|
Louisiana |
$2,162 |
$2,132 |
-1.4% |
|
Arkansas |
$2,103 |
$2,075 |
-1.3% |
|
New Jersey |
$2,699 |
$2,663 |
-1.3% |
|
New York |
$2,657 |
$2,623 |
-1.3% |
|
Ohio |
$2,424 |
$2,394 |
-1.2% |
|
Idaho |
$2,298 |
$2,270 |
-1.2% |
|
Iowa |
$2,328 |
$2,301 |
-1.2% |
In recent months, more and more states fall into the category of experiencing travel nursing salary changes of less than 1.0% in either direction, as the nation continues a trend in which wages are flattening out after periods of turbulent increases and decreases. In August, 18 states landed in this category, up from 14 in July.
Notably, with a 0.9% increase in average pay, Hawaii has become the first state in the West to stop experiencing falling wages in the past few months. However, the state’s current uptick may reflect a shift in healthcare demand following Maui’s historically devastating wildfires in August.
|
State |
July Average |
August Average |
Percent Change |
|
Hawaii |
$2,315 |
$2,336 |
0.9% |
|
Georgia |
$2,267 |
$2,286 |
0.8% |
|
South Carolina |
$2,119 |
$2,133 |
0.7% |
|
Kansas |
$2,247 |
$2,261 |
0.6% |
|
Alaska |
$2,668 |
$2,683 |
0.6% |
|
Oklahoma |
$2,135 |
$2,143 |
0.4% |
|
Rhode Island |
$2,545 |
$2,553 |
0.3% |
|
Nebraska |
$2,390 |
$2,395 |
0.2% |
|
Nevada |
$2,540 |
$2,545 |
0.2% |
|
Maryland |
$2,382 |
$2,383 |
0.1% |
|
South Dakota |
$2,438 |
$2,439 |
0.1% |
|
Missouri |
$2,212 |
$2,211 |
-0.1% |
|
Indiana |
$2,320 |
$2,316 |
-0.2% |
|
Montana |
$2,230 |
$2,225 |
-0.2% |
|
Virginia |
$2,365 |
$2,351 |
-0.6% |
|
New Mexico |
$2,339 |
$2,322 |
-0.8% |
|
Wisconsin |
$2,520 |
$2,501 |
-0.8% |
|
North Carolina |
$2,239 |
$2,220 |
-0.8% |
As travel nursing salaries continue to moderate, health systems should consider workplace attributes beyond pay that are critical to attracting and retaining nurses and other healthcare workers. Attitudes about work have been changing in the United States, and pay is just one element among many that workers use to decide where to take jobs.
RELATED: The Power of Pay Transparency in Healthcare Recruiting
Vivian can help your organization find nurses and other healthcare providers, not only for travel contracts but also staff positions, per diem and local contract positions.
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All average salary data based on travel RN jobs posted on Vivian Health during the complete month of August 2023 compared to the jobs posted during the complete month of July 2023.